Spring Break
Savory Sushi Served At Koji
Julie Elkovich
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Focus
Nowadays, sushi bars have become as common as roller rinks in the 1970s. Rinky-dink sushi bars have been popping up across the state to meet with popular demand. However, many have mediocre sushi, at best. One restaurant that has offered consistently delicious sushi is Toshi in Avon. Voted the best sushi restaurant five years running by the Hartford Advocate's reader's poll, Toshi has maintained a level of excellence unparalleled in Connecticut. Springing from the Toshi restaurant group is Koji, a modern sushi and sake bar in Hartford. Though the restaurant opened Sept. 26, it has received a warm welcome to Hartford's fickle restaurant and bar industry.
Koji pulls off the near impossible with its décor; the restaurant is both starkly modern and yet warm and inviting. A 10-foot black booth against a wall aglow with lime green lights helps create the modern ambiance. Bruce Lee movies play on the flat-screen televisions scattered throughout. Though a concrete floor would normally make any room seem cold and harsh, the sandstone color and glossy lacquer finish make the flooring an integral part of the overall warmth of the restaurant. Koji also boasts the only concrete bar counter in Hartford.
We were greeted promptly by both the owner and manager, and escorted to a bar-height granite table set with a small pot of soy sauce and a small tea light and a red light dangling above. Service is of the utmost importance at Koji, as all the employees were warm and inviting to every patron. The combination of the atmosphere and service create what is by far the most inviting restaurant I have ever personally experienced at a restaurant in Hartford.
Yakitori is a popular build-your-own appetizer, having grilled skewers served with three different dipping sauces. Choices range from chicken to Japanese peppers to quail eggs. Yakitori is an excellent choice if you are unsure of an appetizer or would like a sampling of what Koji has to offer.
Saku Saku is a delicious appetizer I would highly recommend. Two massive seafood rolls are fried, then chopped in half and served piping hot with a sweet sauce. I will readily admit I was pensive about this particular dish, as I am not usually a seafood fan, but this dish could make a believer out of the most skeptical diner. The outer shell was light and crunchy with a slightly oily and sweet filling that melts in your mouth. Unless you are allergic to seafood, this appetizer will win you over with ease.
Koji pulls off the near impossible with its décor; the restaurant is both starkly modern and yet warm and inviting. A 10-foot black booth against a wall aglow with lime green lights helps create the modern ambiance. Bruce Lee movies play on the flat-screen televisions scattered throughout. Though a concrete floor would normally make any room seem cold and harsh, the sandstone color and glossy lacquer finish make the flooring an integral part of the overall warmth of the restaurant. Koji also boasts the only concrete bar counter in Hartford.
We were greeted promptly by both the owner and manager, and escorted to a bar-height granite table set with a small pot of soy sauce and a small tea light and a red light dangling above. Service is of the utmost importance at Koji, as all the employees were warm and inviting to every patron. The combination of the atmosphere and service create what is by far the most inviting restaurant I have ever personally experienced at a restaurant in Hartford.
Yakitori is a popular build-your-own appetizer, having grilled skewers served with three different dipping sauces. Choices range from chicken to Japanese peppers to quail eggs. Yakitori is an excellent choice if you are unsure of an appetizer or would like a sampling of what Koji has to offer.
Saku Saku is a delicious appetizer I would highly recommend. Two massive seafood rolls are fried, then chopped in half and served piping hot with a sweet sauce. I will readily admit I was pensive about this particular dish, as I am not usually a seafood fan, but this dish could make a believer out of the most skeptical diner. The outer shell was light and crunchy with a slightly oily and sweet filling that melts in your mouth. Unless you are allergic to seafood, this appetizer will win you over with ease.